3. Several Core Views on Puritanism in Robinson Crusoe

     In the 1530s, Henry VIII launched the top-down Reformation for the purpose of strengthening his power and getting rid of suppression from the pope and the Roman church. Puritans were named because they advocated to remove the residue of Catholicism and implement radical Reformation. Puritanism ends up as the product of Reformation. As a faithful follower, a series of Defoe’s works expose considerable puritan thoughts. Ian Watt points out that “Many views Defoe expresses in his works have unique puritan significance.” (Watt,1984:79) Meanwhile, Harold Bloom argues that “Robinson Crusoe fully embodies opinions convinced puritans hold to human beings in a profound level: use an inpidual’s life experience to describe people’s availability of rebellion, punishment, repentance and salvation.” (Bloom,1988:88) Therefore, the deeper meaning imbued in Defoe’s work is that people are born sinful and they have to find out the relationship between man and God through continuous confession and salvation.